The present invention relates to the control of pests, particularly termites and fire ants and, in particular, relates to the control of termites by the application of electric currents.
The current methodology for control of pests such as termites and fire ants has involved the use of dangerous pesticides and chemicals of a poisonous nature applied to the infested structure. The application of such pesticides and poisons constitutes an inconvenience and a hazard from a number of different points of view. In the first instance, in the usual case, the application of pesticides requires evacuation of the structure to be fumigated and the removal of food and other consumable products to prevent their being contaminated by the application of the pesticide. More importantly, the use of pesticides presents an environmental hazard in terms of the residuum left after their use. As in the case of pesticides used in agricultural applications, termite pesticides pose a lingering hazard by being leached into soil and streams where they can later be a threat to plant and animal life.